What do we need to know?August 27, 1:30-3PM panelists discuss possible public health impacts of Marcellus Shale drilling.

Serious potential environmental and public health concerns surround the gas extraction process used in the Marcellus Shale, the sedimentary rock formation underlying significant portions of Pennsylvania, New York, and West Virginia. This panel discussion will address the following topics:

• Conceptual site modeling

• Potential human exposure pathways to water and air contaminants

• Behavioral and community health concerns

• Public health preparedness related to gas industry operations

• Fractracker.org, a Web platform that gives researchers the ability to directly engage citizens in the collection of data to effectively demonstrate the impacts of Marcellus Shale gas extraction

Dan Volz, DrPH, MPH, assistant professor in the GSPH Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, and director of the Center for Healthy Environments and Communities (CHEC)